Abandoned
by UekiKosuke
Summary: Looking Away challenge by EmInArEvOl. Ryoma was lied to by his most trusted friends and so he returns to America to train alone. broken. When he comes back to Japan, he changed, and Atobe can't help but to feel bitter towards those who changed him.R
1. Chapter 1

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_**A/N:  
**_This is the **"Looking Away Challenge" from EmInArEvOl** and… yeah… I actually should be updating some of my other stories… but this looked awesome XD Sorry to those who want my other stories updated… I'm working on them… I swear! Its just… taking some time ^^;;

Anyways Please Enjoy Abandoned! =P

(Sorry I had to re-post this o-o;; I spelt EmInArEvOl's name wrong T^T sorry...)

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Chapter one:

With a loud cracking noise, Ryoma slammed his tennis racquet against the two halves of the tennis ball with all his strength. Landing on either sides of the "demigod of tennis" silence filled the stadium.

"We… We won… WE WON!"

The silence was broken as cheers erupted from the audience, and at the same time, the Seigaku regulars ran up to their little champion and lifted him up in the air.

"Woah!" Ryoma tried to protest but he was effortlessly tossed in the air and caught.

After the crowd died down and the specters started to leave, Oishi gently placed a hand on Ryoma's shoulder and said, "Echizen-kun, why don't you go home and rest a few days or so? That nasty fall you had and the resulting amnesia might have had an effect on you. We'll just postpone the celebration party a few days after you'd rested. Like maybe 3 days or so in Kawamura Shushi?" The others turned their heads to look at their vice captain agreeing with him.

"Hoi, hoi~ Ochibi, you really should nyaa!" Eiji giggled and clung onto his doubles partner.

"Saa… We'll meet you in Kawamura sushi in about 4 days. How's that?" Fuji's eyes were still closed but he tilted his head sideways and flashed his usual smile.

"Sounds great." Ryoma nodded and headed off.

"… Is he gone?" Momo spoke up after a moment of silence, grabbing the attention of everyone.

"98% that he's already left the stadium, 1% he got hold up by somebody else but still in the stadium but far enough not to hear us, 0.88% that he's outside drinking Ponta and a 0.2% chance of him returning here." Inui listed down his statistics as he adjusted his glasses.

"Aw man, finally!" Momo relaxed and slumped down against his 'rival' Kaido. Kaido hissed but supported Momo and even gently stroked Momo's short spiky hair.

"Saa… thought he'd never leave…" Fuji's smile disappeared as he folded his arms across his chest.

"Can't we kick him out now?" Momo whined, "I don't want to act like that douche's best friend! Do you know how much that degrades my reputation as a sempai?"

"Yeah, I don't like how he always clings onto Momo like Momo's his or something." Kaido hissed and blushed.

"Yes, we will." A smirk graced up Tezuka's face, his eyes turning as cold as ice.

"Wha… You guys!" Eiji bounced up and stared at his friends who were now suddenly insulting the baby of the team. "What has Ochibi ever done to you?" For once, Eiji looked serious.

"Yeah guys… Aren't you guys being too harsh?" Takeshi stood besides Eiji, placing a hand firmly on his shoulder.

"Eiji…" Oishi sighed and looked at his teammates, who nodded in encouragement. "Echizen was just a tool we used in order to win the finals. We don't need him anymore."

From a distance, the sound of a can hitting the ground echoed throughout the hall. All heads turned and gasped as they saw who was standing before them. "I should've known…" Ryoma laughed bitterly and when he stopped laughing, he looked up to glare at those before him. "What a nice surprise… I knew I shouldn't have come to Japan…" The second part was almost like an after thought, but it was heard well enough.

"No, Ochibi! Don't…" Tears were streaming down Eiji's face, and he flailed, trying to get free from his double partners grip but failing miserably.

"Sorry sempai… But wouldn't want you to degrade yourself by hanging out with a freshman like me." Ryoma spat and turned to leave, leaving the others gaping like a fish. Eiji and Takashi were the only ones that were feeling any guilt at this point. The rest were unsure of how to think of this situation. Should they be happy? Should they feel guilty as well?

"Ore-sama hopes you're happy." Atobe growled from behind them. Tezuka's eyes widened, easily breaking the mask that always hid his face, and Fuji's expression turned solemn. Atobe had been listening to all of this from behind them.

"Atobe… How?" Tezuka stuttered uncharacteristically.

"Ore-sama was going to host a party for Seigaku, but now sees no point in doing so." He huffed and turned to leave as well. "Let's go Kabaji."

"Usu."

Looking ashamed, the others muttered their goodbyes and left until Oishi and Eiji were the only ones left. Oishi felt a strong impact on his cheek as Eiji struck it.

"Sorry Oishi… But you deserved it." With that last statement, he left as well.

* * *

"Oh, brat your home!" Nanjiroh chimed from the kitchen, humming a tune unfamiliar to Ryoma's ears.

"I'm home…" Ryoma muttered more lifelessly than usual and went straight to the sofa.

"Ryoma?" Nanjiroh isn't usually openly caring, but this time, he knew it was nessesary. When he came into the living room, he was surprised to see Ryoma choking on his own tears and flailing like a little child. "What the- Ryoma? What happened?" He demanded, pulling Ryoma into a bone-crushing hug.

"Daddy…" Ryoma's eyes were filled with hurt, and it broke Nanjiroh's heart to see what he was looking at.

"Yes baby… What's wrong?"

"I… Want to go to America…"

"Of course…"

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A/N: Well... Thats the first chapter! =P What did you think?

Review please~ ^.^

~0.0~0.o~o.o~O.o~OoO~^^~^.^... yeah XD

-Ueki


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Thank you for everyone who reviewed ^^ Made my day XD_  
_Because of all the awesome reviews, here is the next chapter and I hope you enjoy~_

_Disclaimer: I always forget to put this up... I don't own Prince of Tennis. If I did... -Grins- yeah XD_

_Warning!: This will be boy x boy so if you don't like... Don't read :O (I probably should have put this up in the first chapter... but yeah o.o I'm forgetful XD)_

_Please enjoy~ _

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**Abandoned chapter 2:**

_A/N: I'm not that familiar with the Japanese school system so I'll be using the American School system. So in the beginning of the story Ryoma was in 6th grade, which means he would be in first year of middle school, Momo and Kaido was in 7th grade, and the rest of the regulars were in 8th grade, which is the last year of middle school. From this point on, Ryoma will be Freshmen (9th grade) of Highschool, Momo and Kaido will be Sophomores (10th grade), and the rest will be Juniors (11th grade)._

3 years later…

"Ah… Japan… Never thought I'd come back here…" Ryoma took a deep breath and sighed. "It hasn't changed at all…" He picked up his bag and walked out the airport. His dad was waiting for him in his house, probably, and while he was in America, he had played tennis almost non-stop. Tennis was the only thing he could do to take his mind off things.

"Hey Ryoma! Stop spacing out!" A blonde guy about the same height as Ryoma nudged Ryoma into reality.

"Haha… Sorry… It's just…"

"I know. You don't need to tell me." Kevin ruffled Ryoma's hair, kissed his forehead and the two got into a cab and went home.

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_~Flashback~_

"_Ah… So that's what happened…" Nanjiroh sighed through the phone and rubbed his temples with his free hand. _

"_Yeah… Thanks for not asking me back then oyaji." Ryoma blushed slightly. It really wasn't that often that these two had a normal conversation. _

"_No wonder…" _

"_What do you mean?" Ryoma raised an eyebrow. "I hope those jerks didn't come over to our house…"_

"_No, no, don't worry. It was someone else though." Nanjiroh scrunched his nose and thought back. _

"_Oh?" _

"_Yes… Someone that kept on calling himself Ore-sama… Quite annoying really, acting like some kind of a king." Ryoma slapped his forehead hard and sighed. 'Atobe…' _

"_Yeah, I know him. He's the Monkey King." Ryoma paused, thinking to himself. "Why did he come to our house?" He voiced his thoughts aloud. _

"_He asked if you were okay… and when I told him you left, he sighed looking kinda pissed off…" Nanjiroh gasped from the other line. "Don't tell you owe him something!"_

_Ryoma blushed crimson, "BAKA OYAJI! YOU'RE WASTING MONEY BY CALLING ME!" and he slammed the phone down. However, as soon as he slammed the phone down, he wished he didn't, because he could just imagine his father rolling on the floor clutching his stomach laughing. Ryoma groaned and slapped himself in the forehead again. But why did Atobe come looking for him? With these thoughts in mind, he went to go get a nice hot shower._

_~Flashback End~_

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"Baka-Oyaji! I'm home!" Ryoma stepped into his house to find that his cat was looking as healthy as always and his dad fumbling to hide the porn he was reading behind his back.

"Meoww-"

"Hey Kevin, this is Karupin" Ryoma held up the snow-white Himalayan cat who licked him. "Isn't she adorable?" Ryoma cooed at the cat and rubbed his nose against hers.

"Oh… Hey there…" Kevin awkwardly waved at the feline feeling like an idiot. Karupin shifted her gaze from Ryoma to Kevin momentarily and in that short moment, Kevin could swear that Karupin was plotting something behind his back.

"Oy! Brat, your finally home?" Nanjiroh successfully tucked his porn from the others reach and came to the living room to join Ryoma and Kevin.

"Yeah, I'm home…" Ryoma smiled genuinely. Nanjiroh scanned Ryoma from top to bottom, and from the looks of it, Ryoma's grown a lot over the past few years. He was almost as tall as Samurai Nanjiroh himself! Ryoma's green tinted hair grew a little longer, his eyes covered almost completely by his bangs, and it was evident that he'd been working out. Once a skinny brat was now a young man every super model would be jealous of.

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"Oi Atobe!" Ryou Shishido moaned as he fisted his hair. Atobe just glanced over at his teammate with an obvious bored expression and raised an eyebrow. "You've been so moody lately and you snap a lot, what happened to you?" The rest of the team leaned in closer to hear what Atobe had to say.

Atobe just blinked, "How is Ore-sama being moody ahn?"

Jirou, who was awake for once, spoke up. "Well, that day Seigaku won, you were really happy but after you went to the stadium to inform the Seigaku regulars about the party plans, you looked like you could kill someone." Jirou yawned and slowly stretched.

"Atobe, if you could just tell us what happened…"

"Ore-sama believes it's not his story to tell, therefore, he is not telling." Atobe scoffed and inhaled deeply.

"Well Atobe, if you told us, maybe we could help?" Oshitari adjusted his glasses, lifting it up higher on the bridge of his nose.

"Ore-sama refuses to tell you. And that is final." Atobe glared at his teammates one by one who were forced to look away from the coldness of it. "Now shut up and eat this thing you call food." Atobe eyed the burgers lined up in front of his teammates.

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"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Kevin placed his hand on Ryoma's shoulders and turned and tapped him gently. Ryoma concealed his eyes with his signature Fila hat and tightened the shoelaces of his shoes.

"Yeah, I think I'll be fine…" Ryoma flashed a weak smile and shook off Kevin's hand.

"Sorry I can't go with you…" Kevin mumbled. Since they just got back from America, and unlike Ryoma, Kevin wasn't used to trips, he had jet-leg.

"It's fine Kev… Geeze, if I didn't know any better people would think you were my boyfriend or something" Ryoma laughed at Kevin's expression which he soon recovered from.

"Sorry Ryoma, you're not my type ;)."

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"Slow down Mamushi! I don't understand what you're trying to tell me!" Momo growled in frustration jabbing the innocent piece of paper in his hands. Kaido hissed and slapped is forehead.

"You IDIOT! What's the use of having such a big head if YOU HAVE NOTHING IN IT!"

"What did you say you stupid VIPER?"

"See? You're so stupid, I have to repeat everything twice for you!"

The two bickered for what seemed like hours, heading towards their favorite burger shop.

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_~0.0~o-o~o.o~0.o~;x;~OxO~:3~:P~:D~=D_

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_A/N: Tadaa? lol =P_  
_That was a lot of point of view changes o.o But think about this, Atobe and his teammates are in the burger place, Ryoma's wondering around town, and Momo and Kaido is walking towards the burger place. =)_  
_Do i smell disaster? XD lol maybe ;P_

_Review please~ =P _


	3. Chapter 3

**_A/N: _**_Thank you to the people who reviewed ^^ I don't really like this chapter, because it's really mostly just... an encounter...  
Maa... Either way, please enjoy this next chapter ^^ _

_I'll just remind you readers that this is a challenge, and so this story might remind you of other stories ^^_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Prince of Tennis or any of the characters. _

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Chapter 3

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"Hey look Atobe, it's the Seigaku losers!" Mukahi shouted, spraying bits of burger at Kabaji. Atobe however, turned his head towards the intruder and growled.

"Waiter!" the waiter hurried over to his direction. "Ore-sama remembers telling you that Ore-sama doesn't want anyone to intrude." Atobe displayed his best glare, and the waiter shuddered at the coldness.

"We're sorry Atobe-sama, but these kids are regulars to the burger joint. We're terribly sorry." The waiter bowed in apology to which Atobe snorted at.

"Pack up. Ore-sama refuses to be in the same building as the disgusting losers." Atobe scrunched up his nose in disgust.

"Ah! It's the Hyotei!" Momo, who just noticed the others in the room pointed at the table where the Hyotei tennis team was sitting.

"Yes, that is very observant of you…" Oshitari couldn't help but to retort back, seeing their captain's behavior towards them. Something must have happened between the two that the rest of the team didn't know about.

"Atobe-san, you're still upset… fshhh…" Kaido hissed, pulling Momo closer to him.

"No. Shit." Atobe grunted and took a sip out of his coke, getting up.

"We're sorry for what we did… We really regret it... We didn't… I didn't think…" Momo stuttered, feeling awful by the second.

"Oh really…" Atobe rolled his eyes and tilted his head towards the door, signaling for his teammates to follow him.

"What the…" Just as Atobe was about to leave through the door, Ryoma walked in nearly bumping into Atobe. Momo held his breath and Kaido hissed silently while Atobe on the other hand gaped.

"Ah, brat! You're back! … And you're tall!" Atobe said in an impressed tone and held back the urge to hug Ryoma just ruffling his hair.

"What the-" Ryoma repeated, flinching away from the touch. He looked up to see his ex best friend and his rival standing together and his eyes turned cold. "Ah, I see… Here for some burgers?" Ryoma raised an eyebrow.

"Ryoma… I…" Ryoma held up a hand silencing Momo from saying anything more.

"It's Echizen." Ryoma raised an eyebrow. Momo and Kaido felt the heart shatter into little bits. 'Did we turn him into someone so cold?' They thought at the same time.

"Echizen… I'm… We're sorry; we regret doing that to you… So please… Forgive us…" Ryoma barked out a cold laugh which made even Atobe shudder.

"WILL SOMEONE PLEASE TELL US WHAT'S GOING ON?" Ryou Shishido cried in frustration.

"Ask them." Ryoma's last words felt like someone had penetrated the two with knife, and with those final words, Ryoma left. Leaving the others stunned. Even Atobe was too shocked to move.

* * *

"Haha… They haven't changed at all…" Ryoma broke down into sob once he was out of sight. He clutched his chest and hyperventilated, he thought he was ready to face them again, but that didn't seem to be the case. Ryoma stumbled down the street and hunched down under a big tree and sobbed some more. "Those guys… didn't change… at all…" Ryoma gasped for air but the tears he released refused to stop flowing down his face. His heart ached as if someone was holding onto it and squeezing it. "Maybe I'm not ready yet…" Ryoma pulled his knees to his chest and hugged himself, tucking his head in the little space between his knees and his chest.

[Meanwhile]

"Atobe, I'm sorry but I cannot stand not knowing any longer. Please, Momoshiro Takeshi and Kaido Kaoru, explain?" Oshitari adjusted his glasses and stared at the two said men.

"We… Used him…" Atobe's eyebrow twitched while the rest of the team looked at each other, wearing a confused expression. Oshitari motioned for Momo to go on by twiring his wrist.

"We used him to get to the nationals… We never really liked him. I mean, think about it, who would actually like someone as arrogant as him!" Atobe was about to object to that but decided to stay silent. "And our sempai told me that I should probably act as his best fried or something, picking him up from school everyday… Really, what a troublesome kid…" Momo was on the verge of crying this time. "After the nationals, we were going to kick Ryoma off the team 'nicely' but he over heard us." Momo shook his head in despair, "That was never supposed to happen… I could see he was hurt, and before that, I thought it would be okay, you know? I mean, we got to get up to the nationals and all. But his expression… The hurt in his eyes… it haunts me even today… I can't forget it." Momo choked on his own tears and turned to Kaido who sighed and took a deep breath.

"Fshh… We realized that it was a wrong thing to do, and tried to apologize the next day, but Ryoma's dad, Echizen Nanjiroh, told us he left for America… And apparently the day Ryoma found out, Atobe was also listening…" Kaido glanced at Atobe who only scoffed and puffed up his chest.

"It's kinda late to realize what you've done, don't you think?" Jirou, who was awake for once, yawned. "He's a member of the opposite tennis team, but he's a cute kid." Jirou chuckled, "well, he _was _a cute kid. He's all tall and grown up now." Everyone agreed in silence.

"Ore-sama doesn't care about what you do, but Ore-sama is going after Ryoma." Atobe curtly said before turning to leave.

"What you did was terrible…" Kabaji's low voice surprised everyone. Kabaji wasn't usually the type of person to speak. The only time he spoke was when Atobe asked him something, but even then, he'd only say 'usu'.

"We know…" Momo and Kaido said sadly, blinking back the tears. "We should tell the others." And with that, they too, left the burger joint with their phones in their hands.

* * *

"Oh? A message from Momo, wonder what its about~" Fuji flipped his phone open.

'_Sempai, Echizen's back.'_ Fuji's eyes shot open, revealing his terrifying blue orbs.

'_Saa… How interesting…'_

_0.0_

"Momo?" Tezuka blinked twice before checking his phone.

'_Semapi, Echizen's back.' _ Tezuka's jaw dropped as well as his phone. 'It can't be…'

"Oh, a message from Momo." Oishi came out of his bath and checked his phone, only to have it slip out of his hand.

'_Sempai, Echizen's back' _

'Oh no…'

0.0

"Nyaa! Momoshi~" Eiji sang as he checked his phone.

'_Sempai, Echzen's back' _Eiji jumped up and down from joy.

"NYAAA! O-CHIBI'S BACK!"

0.0

"Hm… Momo? Wonder what he wants…" Inui stopped cutting the ingredients to his next juice and checked his phone.

'_Sempai, Echizen's back." _

"… Ii data…"

0.0

"Takashi! You're phones ringing!"

"Okay dad,"

When he opened his phone, he was surprised to see it was from Momo.

'_Sempai, Echizen's back.' _ In almost an instant, his eyes watered. 'Echzen…'

^.^~

_A/N: Well... That was it ^^ _

**_I wan't to ask you something though.. I have another chapter 3 written out, and its about the regulars not regretting about what they did.  
Should I make another story just to make an ulternate ending?  
__Or would you rather see that instead of this?  
Please either PM me or Review on this story... Your ideas will really help ^^._**

_Thank you for reading, and don't forget to review~ =P_

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_-Ueki- _


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: Well, here's the next chapter, and this chapter is mostly about Ryoma's... uh... problems? I suppose..._  
_The first bit of the story is kinda like when... you know when you see a dream, and your in it? yeah kinda like that XD_  
_I hope you enjoy~ =P _

Disclaimer: I don't own Prince of Tennis or any of its characters~

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_-Ryoma's POV- Ryoma's dream-_

_(__This part might confuse many of you, and in brief, Ryoma has a dream about the past.)_

'_This place seems familiar… Oh that's right! This is where we had our finals, before… That happened'._

_I walked towards the entrance of the stadium, hoping to catch a glimpse of the stadium. That's when I saw myself. A smaller version of the 'me' I know now, leaning against the wall, hyperventilating, with my usual cap low below my eyes. I flinched at the familiar scene. Was that how I really looked like? Shuddering at the memory, I closed in on myself until I heard a voice. _

_"Can't we kick him out now? I don't want to act like that douche's best friend! Do you know how much that degrades my reputation as a sempai?" The bitterness of the one I used to call best friend stabbed me freshly through the heart. I watched myself as I was trembling with only a tin can to rely on, which was clutched between my two hands. _

_"Yeah, I don't like how he always clings onto Momo like Momo's his or something." How was I supposed to know Kaido sempai liked Momo sempai? The can I was holding shook and some of the contents even spilled over a little. _

_"Yes, we will." I knew this was going to happen, but I flinched when I heard the response of the captain I truly admired. I glanced at the younger version of me who stopped convulsing, watched as I straightened up and turned to leave. I knew that I was unseen by the other me. This was merely a memory after all. But no matter how many times I witnessed this scene, I knew I was never going to get over it. The next voice stopped the little me from leaving the stadium straight away. _

_"Wha… You guys! What has Ochibi ever done to you?" Eiji sempai- of course. He was always there for me. _

_"Yeah guys… Aren't you guys being too harsh?" Kawamura Takeshi, the quiet and the honest one, never was the one to neglect others or betray them. _

_"Eiji…" I held my breath, for I knew what was going to be said next. "Echizen was just a tool we used in order to win the finals." I watched as the younger me stiffened, gripping the can tighter._

"_We don't need him anymore."_

_

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"WOAAAAAAHHHH!" Ryoma shot up from his bed, panting, and sweating with tears flowing down his face. He fisted his hair and cried in agony, biting into his bottom lip till it bled. Ryoma didn't even wince from the pain his lips were causing him. _'We don't need him anymore…' _Rang inside his head, and he couldn't get that voice to stop saying it.

"Ryoma?" Kevin, who had heard the scream frantically ran into Ryoma's room and opened the door. He gasped when he found a mix of blood, sweat, and tears plastered on his best friends face. He ran to where Ryoma was and hugged him tight, muttering comforting words and cooing into Ryoma's ears. However, Ryoma struggled a little, a voice still chanting the unforgivable words in his head.

'_We don't need him anymore…'_

"_Noooooo_" Ryoma wailed into Kevin's broad shoulders and hugged him tighter. Kevin didn't mind that his shirt got wet. It hurt him to see his best friend this- broken. He thought Ryoma's gotten better, but… maybe he wasn't ready to come back… "Kev-in…" Ryoma's voice immediately snapped Kevin out from his own thoughts.

"Wha-What is it?" Kevin asked, in a hushed voice.

"Do you-" Ryoma hesitated for a moment before taking a deep breathe to calm himself down. "Do you think I'm weak?" Kevin stared into Ryoma's eyes, which clearly reflected the pain he felt at the moment.

"No…" Kevin cooed. "You're the strongest, most beautiful guy I know on earth…"

"Thank you…" Ryoma whispered and slowly fell into slumber…

* * *

Ryoma and Kevin made their way downstairs to get some breakfast, before practicing. Nanjiroh however, had other plans in mind.

"What?" Ryoma and Kevin stared at Nanjiroh dumfounded, not believing what they heard just then.

"Well… they didn't have space in all the other schools…" Nanjiroh started to fiddle around with his own fingers as he glanced up to find the two's glares were getting intense. He cleared his throat once really loudly and stared at the two. "No Buts."

'_Ryoma… Sorry, I just want you to get over your nightmares…'_ Nanjiroh added in his head.

* * *

"Did you hear? We're having a new student today!"

"I wonder if it's a guy or a girl…"

"Who cares? As long as the new kid's hot, right?"

"Do you think he's smart?"

"I really wish he was

* * *

a guy…"

"But with my 4 experience of tennis"

"Tennis has nothing to do with this!"

* * *

The news of the new kid spread throughout the school. It was rare that a student would be transferring in the middle of the year after all.

"Hey Momo, do you think that new kid transferring is…." Kaido hissed, with his arms flung around Momo.

"Hm… I don't think so… He seemed pretty pissed… Yeah… Pretty pissed…" Momo added the second thought as an after thought. He had a habit of doing this.

"But the rest of the regulars are okay with him returning except for…" Before Kaido could finish, they spotted the rest of the regulars walking towards them.

"They probably heard about the new kid" Momo whispered before plastering a huge grin on his face and marching out to greet his teammates.

"Momoshi~ Kaido~" Eiji bounced up to them and greeted them with a huge smile on his face. "Do you think the new kid's Ochibi? Ochibi! I miss him!" Eiji shrieked, which got the attention of everyone else in the hallway. Oishi slapped his forehead and placed a hand on Eiji, attempting to calm him down.

"Yeah, I hope it was him as well… We have lots to tell him, don't we?" Takashi muttered from behind the data master, Inui, who even at this moment was jotting down notes. Oishi's face hardened at the mention of the certain freshmen's name.

'_That guy has to go…'_

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_A/N: How was this? :3  
So now you know, that Ryoma is moving to Seigaku High, and well... yeah, the such XD  
And Oishi is the bad guy for now? 0.o Wheew~ _

_Please Review ^^ _


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Hey guys... Sorry about the _really _late update DX... I actually don't have an excuse for this OxO;;;  
In response to the anonymous review given to me by "aaa", It is actually possible for Eiji to be the bad guy, since this _IS a _fanfiction, but no, in this one he isn't.  
Anyways, I hope the wait was worth it... I tried to make it longer, but i didn't like how it turned out so I just deleted the last bit ^^;

Please Enjoy~ :3

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Chapter 5

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Ryoma silently walked next to Kevin, entering the Seigaku High. Everyone was in class, so the place was deserted, but Ryoma couldn't help but to feel slightly… scared? Nervous? Kevin, who noticed this, flung his arm over Ryoma's shoulders and pulled him into a tight one-armed hug.

"Whuhh!" Ryoma struggled and glared at his best friend questioningly.

"Relax Ryoma, you're with me remember?" Kevin rubbed Ryoma's shoulders, which relaxed Ryoma instantly.

"You're right…" He sighed. "I just… I just can't help but to…" mid sentence, Ryoma froze, his body immediately tensing up. Kevin waved his hands in front of Ryoma's face to make sure he wasn't just spacing out and stared into the direction Ryoma was staring at. Kevin's eyes narrowed as he glared at the person standing in front of the two of them.

"Ryo…ma?" The said person's expression grew cold as he lowered his usual cap a little.

"It's Echizen for you '_buchou'._" The man standing in front of Ryoma flinched at the hostile tone of his voice. Kevin's vision shifted from Tezuka to Ryoma, making sure Ryoma wasn't going to break down like he did the night before. Fortunately for Kevin, Ryoma replaced himself with the mask he always used to wear.

"Echizen… I'm… We're…" Tezuka bit his bottom lips, finally showing some emotion for once. However, Ryoma che'd and walked passed Tezuka, dragging Kevin along with him.

"I think you've done enough." Kevin mumbled as he passed Ryoma's previous 'pillar of support'. Stunned, Tezuka stared at the two walking away. Ryoma didn't look back once, and Tezuka couldn't help but to think that Ryoma was no longer their baby anymore. He was much taller for one thing, and for the other thing he didn't look as inferior or innocent anymore. The once baby of their team experienced something horrible, no thanks to the team, and because of that, he looked mature, and unapproachable. Tezuka sighed deeply and messaged his temples, regretting the actions he shouldn't have taken as a captain, as a comrade, as a friend.

* * *

"Class, we have two new kids joining our class today…" The teacher standing in front of the chalkboard fidgeted a little before adding, "Well, one of them is new anyways…"

The door separating the classroom from the hallway slowly opened and Kevin popped his head in. "Uh… Hey." He greeted nervously before walking in. Some of the classmates who recognized Kevin gasped in shock and stared at him in disbelief. The next person that walked through the door however, caused an even bigger commotion.

"Kyaaaa!" The female population cheered as the male population gaped at the tall, lean, person that was too familiar to them. Once Ryoma walked in and was standing besides Kevin in the middle, he lowered his cap, hiding the smirk threatening to spread across his face.

"Echizen Ryoma. Yoroshiku." Ryoma bowed slightly, and received many squeals from the girls.

"Kevin. Yoroshiku na?" Kevin smirked and looked up at his new teacher. "Where should we sit?" He asked as he cocked his head sideways, giving her the cutest face his face could ever morph into.

The teacher blushed a little and coughed into her hands. "You can call me Makoto-Sensei, and your seats will be at the back near the windows." Ryoma and Kevin nodded their heads and slowly walked towards their seat.

When the two took their seats, Makoto-Sensei announced their new unit in math, which was trigonometry, and started class.

* * *

When class ended, a girl with two braded lumps of hair suddenly seized Ryoma's hands earning a silent growl from him. "Yes?" He glared up at the abomination holding onto his hand, when he suddenly felt familiar towards it.

"Ryoma…kun?" The girl silently asked, observing the ground. Ryoma raised his eyebrows and watched as Kevin chuckled lightly.

"Ryoma!" The trio whom Ryoma was unfortunate enough to have in class stomped towards Ryoma's seat and dramatically shoved their faces in front of Ryoma, tearing up.

"Ryo, I never knew you were _this _popular here!" Kevin finally burst out laughing, causing Ryoma to blush madly.

"I wasn't." He protested, but his fans said otherwise.

"Ryoma-sama! It's finally good to have you back!" Tomoka swooned and blinked her eyes repeatedly. Ryoma felt like spraying dust all over her face to at least give her an excuse to blink her eyes in such a way.

"hm…" Ryoma rolled his eyes and looked at Kevin, sending him telepathic signs of SOS.

"Why don't we take a look around?" Kevin suggested, getting up and pulling Ryoma up with him. The prince of tennis's fans grumbled, but decided to leave him alone… for now.

"hn." And the two walked out of the classroom.

"Man I thought I'd lose you back there." Kevin placed his arm lightly around Ryoma's shoulder, while Ryoma crossed his arm across his chest in annoyance. "I can't believe we're in the same class as the really annoying thing." Ryoma stopped walking, which startled Kevin.

"Which thing?" Ryoma tilted his head a little and seeing Kevin's confused expression, he continued talking. "Is it the thing number one? Number two? Or the things number three?" Kevin thought for a moment before answering.

"All of them."

_A/N: For those of you who are confused by the 'things', I name the people I dislike as 'the thing' so… I just put that in as a joke._

* * *

"Maa… Oishi, is something, or someone in your mind today?"Fuji innocently smiled at his friend who Sprayed the Coke he was drinking, startled.

"No, nothing Fuji… I'm just tired." Oishi flashed Fuji his reassuring smile as he wiped the coke from his mouth.

The door to the senior classroom opened in one abrupt motion as a certain freshmen came bursting in. All heads turned to that little freshmen, out of breath, and looking excited.

"Semapi! Echizen's back!" With the mention of the prince of tennis's name, silent murmurs of disbelief broke out as Fuji's eyes shot open.

"hn… So the one that moved here _is _Ryoma… We have lots to tell him, ne?" Fuji chuckled, nudging his friend in the arms. Oishi gave out a nervous laugh, although he was clenching his fists, cursing his luck.

"Ryoma transferred to our class! But it's strange… He's gotten… how to say… Hotter?" The freshmen tilted his head and thought for a bit. Eiji, who had been asleep up till now, woke up to the mention of his precious ochibi's name and rubbed his eyes sleepily.

"Ochibi's back?" Oishi bit his bottom lip and shot his double partner an angry glance. Fuji, who noticed Oishi's discomfort, decided to observe his behavior a little further.

"Oh, its almost time for break to end. Bye, bye sempai-" The freshmen bowed his head and left the room, and the moment he left, as predicted, the bell indicating that the break has now come to an end rang.

"Mou! I wanted to see Ochibi!" Eiji whined and proceeded to pound on his desk with his fist, throwing a tantrum.

"Maa… We'll see him at lunch, Eiji." Fuji reassured him, his eyes never leaving Oishi.

"Yeah Eiji, we'll go see Echizen during lunch…" Oishi chuckled nervously, fooling everyone but the tensai who's eyes were now closed.

"Mou…" Eiji whimpered but opened his physics textbook for his next class.

Meanwhile with Ryoma and Kevin…

"We have English next… What say we skip?" Kevin asked hopefully, pointing at the stairs leading to the roof.

"Hn… Why not?" Ryoma did a strange motion that was a mix between a nod and a shrug. The two of them walked up the stairs to the roof and relaxed for the rest of the period.

* * *

A/N: Oishi hasn't done anything… 'drastic' yet… but the next chapter… -Grins-  
Anyways~ Hope you enjoyed this and please don't forget to review X3

**_PS: If any of you attended to UBUD WRITERS FESTIVAL held in Bali Indonesia, please contact me through PM XD  
I wen't to it a couple of weeks ago and was just wondering if anyone went XD; _**


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: Aiite... I haven't updated in... a really long time, for any of my stories. I apologize D;  
But really, school is just... a BITCH right now ;( The teachers don't realize that other teachers are giving us a ton of work so they give their own load of work! It's like... wth?  
__Sorry, I'm ranting... But yeah, I need to add onto the warning, this story will now have a depressed Eiji. And Eiji cuts himself. I wonder if I have to get my ratings up... _

_But yeah, please enjoy :P _

* * *

Abandoned 6

"Hey! Hey!" The student council president called out for the two new students. Both Ryoma and Kevin turned around and at the same time, the two raised their eyebrows.

"Yes?" The indifference in their voice startled the SC president slightly.

"uhm… Right. You guys need to join a club in our school in order to actually get credit for your school year." The look of confusion in the two freshmen mirrored each other as they both stared at the SC president, mouth hanging open slightly.

"Is that a must?" Kevin whined, hoping that this was just a big joke. However, his hope shattered into tiny little bits the moment the SC president opened his mouth.

"Yes, that is a must."

* * *

"What club do you think Ochibi will join?" The jumpy red head tilted his head in wonder as he walked side by side with Oishi, munching on a piece of bread.

"Well… because of what happened 3 years ago, I doubt he'll join the tennis club." Oishi faced down to hide the grin that was threatening to spread on his face, which Eiji didn't catch.

"Yeah… You're right…" He sighed uncharacteristically, the bread in his hand completely forgotten. Oishi bit his bottom lip in annoyance, glancing at this doubles partner from the corner of his eyes.

"Why do you protect him anyways?" Eiji glanced up at the unexpected question and for a second, his face flooded with sadness. An expression Oishi never expected to see on the red head wonder.

"It's nothing…" Eiji slid his hands over his thighs, wincing slightly. The two fell into an uncomfortable silence after that.

* * *

The unexpected visit from the little freshmen prodigy surprised Tezuka. He was actually feeling sad because of how cold Ryoma turned. Tezuka never thought his actions would affect him _that _much. Ryoma was known for his cockyness anyways so Tezuka thought that he would just ignore everything.

-Flashback-

_Tezuka was having a bad day, working on the Intra-School Ranking Tournament. He's always hated doing that, because to be completely honest, he found that there was no reason to actually hold the Intra-School Ranking Tournament. The same people were always going to be chosen anyways right? When a loud knock was heard, Tezuka silently grunted. _

"_Come in." Tezuka instructed, his usual monotone voice deeper than usual. _

"_Heya…" Kevin was first to peak in. He waved at Tezuka who only grunted in response. He continued to write in his notebook, squeezing his brain for the most talented players in the useless bunch, until he felt another presence there. Standing in front of him, was Ryoma. The cold expression remained, but the hateful intent had lessened from the previous encounter. _

"_Ryoma?" Tezuka placed his pen down on the table and gawked at Ryoma who raised both his eyebrows and looked at Kevin. _

"_Hn… Long time no see buchou." Ryoma's monotone voice saddened Tezuka just a bit. He felt a stabbing pain in his heart and knew he was partially responsible for this. _

"_Yes… Long time no see indeed…" Tezuka cleared his throat, clearly uncomfortable with the two freshmen staring at him. "So what do you guys need help with?" he asked them. _

"_We'd like to join the tennis club." The two replied in unison. Tezuka secretly missed how Momo and Ryoma used to be in sync like that, but he shook the thoughts away. If anything had to do with tennis, he had to be serious. _

"_I see. You guys may join." _

"_When do we start?" Kevin asked, eyes darting back and forth from Ryoma to Tezuka, cautious of them. _

"_This afternoon. You'll both be participating in the ranking tournament so be prepared." Tezuka expected a smirk or something from the young prodigy but the only thing he received was a frown and a grunt. _

"_What, so you could throw me out again?" The bitterness in Ryoma's voice stiffened Tezuka and caused Kevin to cringe. _

"_Ryoma that time I…" Ryoma raised an eyebrow, and Tezuka could see, that there was no excuse for what he had done. He has hurt someone to the point of him leaving the country. "I'm sorry…" _

"_Whatever buchou. I'm passing." Ryoma rolled his eyes and turned to leave. Sticking his tongue out childishly, Kevin followed after Ryoma. Tezuka was left alone in the room yet again. Feeling like a bastard, he slouched in his chair and massaged the bridge of his nose. He wished he could take it all back, he just wished… He just wanted the old Ryoma back._

_

* * *

_

Classes went by fast, and soon it was the end of the day.

All the participants of the tournament were already warming up in the courts by the time Ryoma and Kevin arrived. The practice routines were exactly as Ryoma remembered from middle school, but he felt odd about being the only person (besides Kevin) that wasn't wearing the appropriate attire. He sighed and went to the sidelines, pulling Kevin along with him. If he couldn't play, he just had to scout for some good players. Ryoma visibly flinched when he saw the other regulars, still so close with one another. Kevin, noticing the sudden change, reached up for Ryoma's shoulders and gave in a reassuring grip, to which Ryoma's lips twitched.

'_Why is he here?' _Oishi cursed, mentally ripping his none existing hair out in frustration. He was practically seething in anger, gritting his teeth, the grip on his racquet getting tighter.

"Oishi?" Eiji cautiously poked his double partner, snapping him back into reality, where killing was probably not allowed.

"Oh, sorry, I was just… Thinking." Oishi chuckled, hiding all his previous emotions behind his usual 'mother hen' self. Eiji observed his partner carefully but decided against arguing.

"I don't see ocbibi's name on the list…" Eiji sighed and swung his racquet a couple of times, shifting his hand on the grip every now and then, adjusting himself. He was so busy with his racquet, that he didn't realize that his beloved doubles partner was raging with fury. "Do you think he quit tennis because of us?" Oishi couldn't take this anymore.

"Eiji, he's right there." Oishi pointed his racquet at the two freshmen talking to each other, pointing at other players and talking about them some more. A sudden idea came into Oishi mind as a smirk spread across his face. "And would you look at that… Even after all those years, he isn't even learning from his mistakes." Eiji looked up in confusion. Oishi calmly continued explaining, "He's pointing at all the good players in our club and looking at the moves they are using." Eiji stared at Ryoma blankly, his eyes flooding with emotions. "I bet you he wants to steal them and make it his again." Oishi snickered while Eiji shook his head.

"No… Ocbibi will never do that…" Oishi clamped his mouth shut, as a vein seemed to pop in his head. Eiji's hand reached for his thigh and winced the moment they came in contact. Oishi's entire focus was on Ryoma, so he didn't notice when his doubles partner came close to tears.

* * *

_A/N: Okay, I know there was a lot of… I duno…. Boring bits? But anyhooo~ Wonder what happened to Eiji... :( I feel a little bad for doing this, but I needed a good reason as to_ why_ Eiji was so nice to Ryoma... you know? And LOL at the fact that Oishi hates Ryoma xD_

_Sorry I haven't been updating much =S I use this excuse a lot, I know, but I had a tough time in school T-T I'm practically FAILING math right now! Nyways, I hope you liked that chapter, and I hope the the next one will be up soon. Cheers for no ;D_


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: **_Alrighty... Here's the next chapter to Abandoned XD Lol I hope you guys enjoy this... very embarasing piece of s*izzz i call writing ^^ _

* * *

"So anyone you find interesting?" Ryoma nudged Kevin with his elbow and smirked at the blush spreading across his face.

"w-what? N-No way!" Kevin stuttered. Obviously unconvinced, Ryoma chuckled.

"Is it that one?" Ryoma pointed at one of their upperclassmen taking a swing at the tennis ball.

"N-No! I told you, no one interesting!" Kevin hesitated before wearily tilting his head over to the regular's direction. "I was looking at _them_." Ryoma shuddered unnoticeably but his expression hardened.

"And may I ask you _why_?" Ryoma raised his eyebrows and tipped his cap further down his face, attempting to cover up his wavering eyes.

"I… I don't like it…" Kevin muttered, obviously embarrassed to be talking about touchy subjects like this. What the two boys didn't realize was, that most of the people in the club was being very cautious about them. Echizen Ryoma; mysteriously disappearing after their finals, beating the one known as the 'Demigod' of tennis… and suddenly appearing before their eyes once again as a threat…

"Alright everyone! Lets gather around!" Tezuka commanded, his voice as deep and as stern as always.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and all turned to look at Ryoma. Not taking notice of all the stares he was getting, Ryoma briskly walked over to where the freshmen were standing and stood at the far back with Kevin. No one expected for Ryoma to stand with the freshmen; especially the previous regulars. Tezuka cleared his throat, capturing the attention of everyone.

"The ranking tournament will be taking place today-" Tezukas eyes darted towards Ryoma's direction but he quickly looked back in the general direction. "For those of you not participating, you have a choice of leaving or staying and watching our players compete for the regulars spot." Ryoma and Kevin had a silent agreement of leaving and turned their attention back to the captain. Horio, who noticed this exchange tilted his head slightly and bit his lips, keeping his mouth from sprouting anything unnecessary which could cost him laps. "Those competing, check which block you're going to be in, and go warm up a little in your court. If you are planning to leave, leave the moment you are dismissed." Ryoma smirked at the nostalgic feeling rushing within him. "Are there any questions?" Tezuka's voice boomed with authority. Silence was all he needed to confirm that everyone understood his instructions. "If not, then you are dismissed."

The previous regulars debated on whether or not they should go to talk to Ryoma, but it was clear on Ryoma's face that he didn't want to talk. Eiji reluctantly turned away, as did everyone else.

Each individual scattered to complete their given task; and to Ryoma's greatest annoyance, that's when Horio decided to ask Ryoma about what was up with him.

"Hey Ryoma! Why did you-" Before Horio could talk any more about anything, Ryoma held his hand up in a manner which hinted for Horio to shut his trap.

"Its Echizen." Ryoma said simply and pulled Kevin towards the locker rooms. Kevin allowed himself to be dragged away. He noticed that Ryoma's hand was shaking as it was gripping his own. Horio froze- stunned. Of course he was stunned. No matter how annoying he used to be, Ryoma would have at least talked to Horio occasionally.

As soon as the two boys were in the locker room, Ryoma shut the door and leaned against it. Kevin eyed Ryoma wearily, his hands hovering around Ryoma just in case something happened. As predicted, Ryoma's legs gave out on him, dropping Ryoma to the ground. Alarmed, Kevin dropped to the floor as well with more control.

"Ryoma!" Kevin placed his hands on Ryoma's shaking shoulders. His best friend was shaking so pitifully… The blonde was already somewhat used to this, but the last time Ryoma was this shaken up was about a year or so ago.

"I'm okay, I'm okay-" Ryoma muttered these words of comfort to himself, slowly bringing his knees to his chest and tucking his head in between his knees. He took deep breaths to himself, which each breath, tightening his grip around his legs. Kevin dropped his hands to his sides and watched as the shaking lessened. He bit his bottom lip, trying to hold in the tears that were threatening to break free.

'_I thought I was ready to meet them… But suddenly being strangers… Why does it hurt so much…?'_

_**Now... With Atobe...**_

"Atobe… would you _please_ stop smiling to yourself? You're scaring some of our freshmen."

"Ahn?" Atobe blinked, an irritated glare replacing the gracious smile he had on his face. "Ore-sama is not smiling to himself." Atobe puffed his chest slightly, showing off his proud side.

"Don't nag him too much Oshtari-chii~ Buchou is probably thinking about a certain chibi that came back to town." Mukahi chuckled but soon stopped feeling a deadly aura emitting from a certain man.

"For your information, Echizen Ryoma is not a chibi- anymore." Atobe smirked at his teammates expressions. Even Kabaji's mouth dropped a little.

"Are you going to go visit him?" Oshitari pushed up his glasses with his index finger and hid his grin behind his hand. Atobe raised an eyebrow and scoffed.

"Ore-sama does not 'visit' anyone."

'_Echizen Ryoma isn't _just _anyone to you now is he?' _Oshitari silently thought to himself and sighed.

"However Ore-sama might make an exception to the little brat." With that being said, Atobe turned around and walked away with a slight blush spreading over his cheeks, leaving his teammates behind staring in awe.

**_Back to Seigaku-_**

'_That son-of-a… How _dare _he come back and join the tennis team like nothing is wrong?' _Oishi furiously thought.

***Twack*******

*********Twack*****

*********Smash*****

No matter how many times Oishi tried, he couldn't distract himself from the anger that was practically seething out of him. He aggressively swung his racquet and –

*********Smash*****

With every hit, he cursed under his breath; and of course, to avoid any unnecessary injuries, he was practicing against one of the walls.

What the mother hen didn't realize was, Fuji was observing him from far back. His expression was unusually grim, his usual smile gone. Fuji's eyes were slightly open from concern, '_I wonder what is driving Oishi towards the edge like this… This isn't like him…' _Fuji made a mental note of talking to Tezuka afterwards.

* * *

**A/N**_: I guess its normal for people to usually put something at the ending of their stories... so... I put something here? XD _  
_ Oh I don't know ToT _  
_Thank you so much for those who waited for the next chapter :) _

_-Ueki- _


	8. Chapter 8

**_A/N: _**_So here I am again~ Back from... writing some of my other fics ^^; I've been trying to update as much as I could, seeing as I've left you guys with nothing from me for... about a couple of months... X_x Again, I apologize :( On a good not however, my 'writers block' has been temporarily cured! :D So while my brain is working, I've just been writing and writing and throwing in some more ideas XD haha XD  
Of course, the fact that I'm talking to my awesome cyber buddy **"Taku~" **is helping me tons and tons :D _

_Again, thank you for putting up with my lazyness and keeping up with my stories ^^;; *Bows down* _

* * *

_Chapter 8_

"Tezuka."

"Atobe."

The two captains of Seigaku and Hyotei were facing each other, Atobe clenching his fist to try and keep his calm exterior and Tezuka trying to hide the surprise from the sudden visit.

"Atobe-san, what brings you and your team here in Seigaku?" Tezuka politely asked with honest curiosity.

"Ore-sama demands to know where the little brat is." Atobe raised his head a little and tilted it at an angle so that he would look more mighty then usual. Tezuka blinked a couple of times and panned the court, looking for the 'so-called' 'brat'. When Ryoma was nowhere to be found, he sighed.

"He seems to have left." Tezuka's expression was as emotionless as ever, but those who knew him well enough, could hear a tiny trace of sadness in his voice.

"The brat left?" It was now Atobe's turn to blink in confusion. "Ore-sama had the impression that the Seigaku's ranking tournament was going at the moment... Perhaps Ore-sama has made a mistake?" Atobe raised an eyebrow at the last bit. He knew he didn't make a mistake. The ranking tournament was defiantly going on. Atobe wasn't an idiot; he could just tell by the competitive atmosphere in the court.

"No, you have not made a mistake." Tezuka sighed, "The ranking tournament is indeed going on, but-" before Tezuka finished his sentence, he was interrupted by the vice captain of the team; Oishi.

"But since Echizen is still only a freshmen, he has to pick up balls until next summer. If we gave Echizen the privilege of participating now, it wouldn't be fair for the other freshmen." If Tezuka wasn't known for his stoic figure, his jaw would've dropped to the ground and he would've been gaping like a fish. Atobe only frowned.

"Ore-sama sees your dilemma…" Atobe heard his teammates snicker and shot then a warning glance. "Then would any of you know his cell phone number?" Before anyone could answer, Atobe interrupted his own thought, "Ahh… Forgive Ore-sama for his thoughtlessness." By this time, slowly the Regulars were gathering around sharing curious yet cautious glances. "Ore-sama has temporarily forgotten that you lot were the ones that kicked him out of your little 'clique'." The regulars flinched with the exception of Oishi, and the Hyotei regulars stared at Atobe in awe. They never knew their buchou was the one to hold grudges.

"Atobe-san, that time… We…" Momo started to explain but stopped when he felt a hand on his shoulders.

"We're sorry for what happened back then… We wish we could go back in time and re-do everything... But…" Atobe scrunched his nose his disgust and snapped his fingers, grabbing the attention of the population.

"We're leaving." Atobe curtly announced, swiftly turned and walked to where his limo was waiting. The rest of the Hyotei team didn't look back once when they trailed behind their captain.

When they got into Atobe's limo, Oshitari asked, "Don't you think that might've been a little too harsh?" and flinched under the glare Atobe was giving him.

"Harsh? Ore-sama thinks he was being too _nice_ to them!" Atobe folded his arms around his chest stubbornly and muttered, "How dare they do that to their own teammate!" Shishido nearly chocked on the heavy atmosphere in the car and shot a glance at Jirou who seemed to be sleeping peacefully.

"Ore-sama wishes to go to the street tennis courts." Atobe sighed and rolled his shoulders, "Too mush stress isn't good for Ore-sama's beautiful appearance." And the rest of the ride went by in comfortable silence.

_**Meanwhile, in the street tennis court…**_

"Ryoma I really think you should stop venting your stress out on these poor innocent people…" Kevin's voice sounded week, but he had to try _something_ to get his friend to calm down.

"None of these people are _good enough!_" Ryoma growled, grinding his teeth. He was both embarrassed and ashamed for breaking down once again in front of his best friend, and the amount of stress he had been piling up from meeting the previous regulars were staring to give him migraines.

"But that doesn't mean you should go around and ruthlessly pulverize them all…" Kevin sighed in defeat. "You weren't even playing to your full potential…" He muttered under his breath just loud enough for Ryoma to hear.

"Then why not Ore-sama grace you with his presence?" The two boys turned around to see Atobe and the rest of the Hyotei regulars walking towards them. From the corner of his eyes, he could see Ryoma narrowing his eyes in suspicion so he did the same.

"Brat."

"Monkey King."

Startled by the name calling, Kevin looked back and forth from Ryoma to Atobe. "Monkey King?" He asked him in confusion but was completely ignored.

"Do not call Ore-sama with that grotesque name!" Atobe hissed, but there was no sign of real anger in his voice. "Ore-sama feels lucky to have decided to come to horrendous place you commoners call a 'tennis court'." Ryoma rolled his eyes. '_He hasn't changed…' _

"So why would you be considering yourself 'lucky' for coming here?" Ryoma raised an eyebrow, challenging Atobe with the question he asked. The Hyotei team regulars gaped in amazement. '_How could this little brat be so dense!'_

"Ore-sama has found a useful opponent to test out his new move on." Atobe scoffed and held out his hand. "Kabaji, Racquet."

"usu." Kabaji automatically answered and placed Atobe's racquet on his waiting hand.

Ryoma smirked and took a step back, pulling Kevin to where he was standing. "Kevin, didn't you say you wanted to play a game with this Monkey King before?" Kevin blinked in confusion

"I never-" Ryoma shot Kevin a warning glance silencing him in an instant.

"But Ore-sama was hoping to pay you back for last time." Did Atobe just _whine?_

"Yadda." Ryoma handed his tennis racquet over to Kevin, who took it hesitantly.

"Ryoma… Why are you making me play him?" Kevin whispered into Ryoma's ears, irritation clear in his voice.

"Because I'm thirsty and I want Ponta." Ryoma pulled his cap down lower and walked away, leaving the rest of them in the court.

"He hasn't changed at all has he?" Shishido whistled in amusement.

"Going in his own pace as always" Oshitari adjusted his glasses and crossed his arms across his chest.

"Usu." Kabaji agreed gruffly.

Jirou yawned, grabbing the attention of everyone. '_Jirou was actually awake?' _ They thought in unison. But they thought too soon. Soon after he yawned, a snore could be heard right after.

"Yup… He hasn't changed." Hiyoshi summed up their thought. "Gekokujou."

* * *

**_A/N: _**_Reviews will be greatly appreciated ^^ _

_-UEKI~- _


	9. Chapter 9

_**A/N:**__ Well… This chapter is just a little… boring in my point of view… A lot of talking, not much action, although I can feel something awesome coming up in the next chapter XD You'll see if you actually get to the end of the chapter~ Dear Atobe has a little surprise for our cute little Ryoma… and Kevin XD Hehe =P Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter~ and er… yeah, I hope you really like it XD _

**Disclaimer:** _I don't own Prince of Tennis or any of their characters... lalala~~ _

* * *

_Chapter 9 _

"Karupin…" Ryoma mumbled in his sleep unaware of the audience in front of him. Kevin chuckled and ruffled Ryoma's hair feeling no remorse in waking Ryoma up despite his wonderful dream. Besides, they had school today.

"Ryoma~" Kevin shook Ryoma's shoulder rapidly earning a silent frowl from him. In the past couple of years, Kevin knew how useless it was to try and wake Ryoma up gently. "Hurry up, we're gonna be late for school!" When Ryoma didn't move, Kevin pounced on him and positioned his hand around Ryoma's slender waist.

"Oompf!" Ryoma grunted and began to stir under Kevin's weight. "Get off! You're heavy!" Ryoma complained.

Kevin audibly chuckled but looked insulted at being called heavy and pouted. "I probably weigh the same amount as you… Bastard…" he mumbled with no hint of actual anger in his voice.

Ryoma sat up and yawned. He looked at the clock to find that it was already 6:30. He cursed and stumbled out of bed and rummaged through his closet, looking for his school uniform. Kevin, who was already ready to go watched in amusement and couldn't help but chuckle at how… normal Ryoma looked. Just months ago Ryoma would wake up screaming from his nightmares, drenched in his own sweat…

"Kevin, lets go!" Ryoma grabbed his tennis bag and swung it over his shoulder and lifted up his school bag to swing it over his other. Kevin readjusted his bag on his shoulder and panned the room, just in case they left anything, and when he found nothing, he followed after Ryoma.

Up till the point they reached school, everything seemed normal enough. Their day was, however, ruined when they found the Tennis team regulars standing outside the front gate.

"Late as always eh, Ryoma?" Momo tried to lighten up the mod but judging by the two boys' nonchalant expression, it was clear that they didn't find Momo's joke amusing at all.

"School hasn't even started yet." Kevin pointed out, raising an eyebrow. Some of the regulars laughed nervously and shared momentary glances with each other. Eiji growled with annoyance and took a step forward.

"Ochibi!" Without any warning, or an explanation (for that matter), Eiji grabbed Ryoma's arm and pulled him away from Kevin. The others looked at their teammate, astonishment clear on their face. Eiji was acting out of his character; he was usually jumpy, and even if he were mad, he would always act childish about it by pouting or by insulting others that pissed him off. But this… This was just weird!

"What the-" Ryoma protested, but allowed himself to be dragged off. He shot his best friend an _'I'll tell you later'_ look and turned to glare at the redhead who was too busy dragging the boy to notice his glare.

When the two were far enough from the others, Eiji released his hard grip on Ryoma's arm and stared down at the boy, his eyes full of worry and guilt. "Ochibi we're really-" Before the redhead could get his apology across, Ryoma silenced the boy by grabbing hold of the boy's wrist. Eiji's eyes widened in shock as tears began to blur his vision. Ryoma gave Eiji's wrist a gentle squeeze, which caused the boy to hiss in pain, and instinctively retracted his arm back.

"So you're still at it." It wasn't a question. Ryoma sighed and ran his left hand through his hair while placing his right on his hips.

"Yeah…" Eiji mumbled, hesitated, and then continued. "More so after you left…" Ryoma froze upon hearing this. The shorter of the twos' eyes narrowed and directed their glare at the redhead.

"I wonder who's fault that was…" Ryoma grumbled but his glare softened. "I'm not particularly mad at you, you know?" Eiji perked up slightly when he heard this. Ryoma suppressed a chuckle when he imagined Eiji wagging his tail like a cat.

"Really? But why only me?" Eiji wondered tilting his head to the side slightly. He was unconsciously holding onto his right wrist to comfort the pain from the previous handling. Ryoma raised an eyebrow and scratched the back of his head, not knowing how to explain it to the older boy.

"Well…" Ryoma uneasily glanced at the others in the front gate to find everyone's eyes fixed on the two. "I heard everything you know?" Eiji drew in a sharp breath. "I know both you and Kawamura sempai didn't really… want it to end like that…" Ryoma left the last part of his answer hanging, seemingly thinking back to the past event.

"But the others are worried to!" Eiji flailed his arms and pointed at their- _his_ cluster of friends. "They want to start over… They're sorry... They told me-"

"Sorry, but I don't want to talk about this." Ryoma interrupted and turned to leave, motioning for Kevin to come along. Kevin came jogging immediately.

"Why won't you try out for the regulars spot…?" Eiji asked before Ryoma got too far. Ryoma turned his head to face Eiji and flashed him a bitter smile.

"Because history repeats itself." Ryoma then jogged off to meet Kevin half way and walked away to class, leaving Eiji there with a sad smile spreading across his face.

* * *

"So how did the talk go Eiji?" Fuji asked, and not smiling.

"he… I don't think he's forgiven us yet…" Eiji mumbled and grabbed onto his double partner's t-shirt.

"I don't think it's going to be that easy for him to forgive us Eiji." Oishi smiled sadly and patted his double prater's head, ruffling it a bit in the process. Fuji's eyes momentarily darted towards Oishi but he didn't say anything.

"But if its Tezuka buchou, you can make him join the regulars can't you?" Momo whined.

"But he himself said he didn't want to." Eiji muttered, silencing the others.

"Aah." Tezuka agreed, his usual stoic mask in place.

"What exactly did he say?" Fuji asked cautiously, still eyeing Oishi from the corner of his eyes.

"History repeats itself." Eiji said, his voice quivering slightly. Oishi ground his teeth together, trying very hard not to retort back to the redhead and telling him that, that is what probably would've happened if he joined the regulars again.

'_Think I would've left you alone if you joined the regulars again?' _Oishi thought angrily. Fuji's eyes narrowed but he looked up at the school building, his usual smile gracing up his lips.

"Saa… We can talk about this later." Everyone stared at Fuji who just pointed at the school building. "Class is going to start soon."

* * *

Back to Ryoma and Kevin...

"So what exactly happened with the redhead?" Kevin cocked his head to the side leaning it against his arm, which rested on his desk. They were both sitting in their designated seat in their classroom since they knew class was about to start. Ryoma didn't look at Kevin but instead just stared out the window.

"Nothing really…" Ryoma replied absent-mindedly.

"Oh really." Kevin raised his eyebrows and leaned in closer to where Ryoma was sitting. "Because that's why you're staring out the window with that expression on your face." Ryoma turned to look at Kevin and narrowed his eyes.

"Eiji-sempai asked me why I didn't-" But tragically, Ryoma was interrupted by a very familiar squealing noise. The two winced comically and turned to find Tomoka, her hair up in her usual pigtails jumping up and clinging onto Ryoma who sighed and looked at Kevin for help.

"Kyaaaa! Ryoma-sama! How was your first day of school? Did anyone bother you while you were in America?" Ryoma slapped his forehead and tried to pry the annoying _thing_ off him in a very useless attempt. "Ah! Don't tell me a girl tired to flirt with you!" Kevin watched in amusement, raising his eyebrows and biting his lips, trying to keep himself from bursting out laughing.

"Settle down class, we have our first chemistry test of the year!" much to Ryoma's relief, the pigtailed abomination detached herself from him and went over to her own seat.

"Nice…" Kevin winked at Ryoma and earned a slap from the said boy.

"I'll see you after class Kevin Smith" Ryoma hissed and went back to staring out the window.

* * *

"Atobe-san, are you sure about this?" A rather large looking man re-read the piece of paper the diva handed him.

"Ore-sama is very sure." Atobe said, smirking and flipping his hair back.

"The expenses are going to be rather-" Atobe raised his hand, interrupting the man from talking.

"Ore-sama is very sure of his choice." With that being said, Atobe swiftly turned around and walked out of the small room. "Please make sure that gets taken care of… very soon." Atobe waved his hand and closed the door behind him without looking back.

The rather large looking man sighed and gently put the piece of paper down. He picked up the phone and started to dial some numbers, and luckily someone picked up the phone on the third ring.

"_Hello?"_ The voice on the other line was gruff yet very comical.

"Hello sir, is this the Echizen residence?"

There was a slight pause before the voice in the other line spoke again.

"_Did something happen in school?" _The rather large looking man chuckled at the man's worry.

"No, er…"

"_Echizen Nanjirou. I'm Ryoma's father." _

"Ah, yes, Echizen-san, I called to talk to you about your son and his friends' scholarship to Hyotei Gakuen…"

* * *

_**A/N:**__ Reviews are greatly appreciated! _


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